This article examines the interrelationships among structural violence, poverty and social suffering. It begins with a vignette from Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, that puts a face on structural violence. It then traces the historical roots and characteristic features of the concept of structural violence and goes on to discuss its relationship to other types of violence. It also considers how the notion of structural violence has been applied across various disciplines to enhance our understanding of social problems linked to profound poverty and social suffering. Furthermore, it describes the utility and relevance of structural violence to social analysis before concluding with an overview of how anthropology can be used in refining the concept of structural violence.